Proactive bank transaction staging methods and systems

ABSTRACT

Various embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate transacting in advance. More specifically, various embodiments relate to detecting a mobile computing device of a user within a proximity of a banking location; receiving, via the mobile application, an indication of a type of transaction to be conducted; and directing, via the mobile application, the user to an area of the banking location based on the type of transaction to complete the transaction.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part of pending U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 13/673,040, filed Nov. 9, 2012, entitled“TRANSACTING IN ADVANCE,” and a continuation-in-part of pending U.S.patent application Ser. No. 13/673,663, filed Nov. 9, 2012, entitled“TRANSACTING IN ADVANCE,” both of which claim priority to U.S.Provisional Application No. 61/557,636, filed on Nov. 9, 2011, entitled“BANKING IN ADVANCE,” each of which are hereby incorporated by referencein their entireties for all purposes. This application also claimspriority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/881,920, filed Sep. 24,2013, entitled “PROACTIVE BANK TRANSACTION STAGING PROCESS FOR SMARTDEVICES,” which is also incorporated by reference in its entirety forall purposes.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Various embodiments of the present invention generally relate totransactions. More specifically, methods and systems for generating andstaging transactions at a point of transaction are disclosed.

BACKGROUND

Accomplishing financial transactions at banking locations such as ATMs,kiosks, and brick-and-mortar banks can sometimes impose significant waittimes for customers. Whether a customer is waiting in line at an ATM, ata customer service counter for their transaction to be processed, orbehind many cars in a drive-up teller lane at a bank, the time lostwaiting can frustrate customers.

Therefore, customers may prefer to accomplish transactions, or at leastas much of the transaction as possible, outside of the banking locationsand complete the transaction quickly at a scheduled time at a convenientbanking location.

SUMMARY

In some embodiments, a mobile computing device of a user is detectedwithin a proximity of a banking location. An indication of a type oftransaction to be conducted may be received via a mobile applicationrunning on the mobile computing device, and the user may be directed toan area of the banking location based on the type of transaction.

One embodiment provides a method that includes receiving a request for atransaction from a user device of a user, processing the transaction,where processing the transaction includes determining that userinteraction at a point of transaction is necessary to complete thetransaction; determining possible points of transaction based on alocation of the user and a type of the requested transaction; accessinguser preference information relating to the possible points oftransaction; recommending, to the user, a subset of the possible pointsof transaction based at least in part on the user preference informationrelating to the possible points of transaction; and receiving aselection of a point of transaction.

In some embodiments, the user's mobile computing device is detectedactively or passively when the user is within a proximity of the bankinglocation. Upon detection, the user may receive a message regarding apre-staged transaction or inquiring about a new transaction. The usermay be directed to an area of a banking location based the pre-staged ornew transaction information.

In some embodiments, the transaction is a financial transaction. Thepoint of transaction may be a network location, or it may be a physicallocation.

The method may further include scheduling the transaction for completionat the point of transaction. In some embodiments, the method includesregistering the user device with a customer account, where registeringthe user device with a customer account includes receiving a request toregister the user device with the customer account; collectingidentifying information related to the user device; and associating theuser device and the identifying information related to the user devicewith the customer account. The identifying information may be selectedfrom the group including: a phone number, an internet protocol address,and a vehicle. In some embodiments, registering the user device with thecustomer account occurs prior to receiving the request for thetransaction.

The method may further include generating a unique identifier for thetransaction comprising information relating to the transaction, wherethe unique identifier is based on the selected point of transaction, andwhere the unique identifier is used to complete the transaction.

In some embodiments, the method further includes determining a safetyfactor related to each of the possible points of transactions, anddetermining the safety factor includes accessing public records anddetermining crime rates associated with the possible points oftransactions. Recommending, to the user, a subset of the possible pointsof transaction to complete the transaction may be further based on thedetermined safety factor related to each of the possible points oftransaction.

In some embodiments, the user preferences include a type of the point oftransaction and a maximum wait time. In some embodiments, the methodfurther includes accessing information relating to a past behavior, andrecommending, to the user, a subset of the possible points oftransaction is further based on the past behavior of the user. In someembodiments, the information relating to the past behavior of the userincludes previously used points of transaction for similar transactionsand previously used points of transaction during a similar time of day.

The method may further include in response to receiving a selection ofthe point of transaction, generating a route to the selected point oftransaction, and presenting the route to the user. Generating the routeto the selected point of transaction may include accessing publicrecords relating to crime rates along possible routes to the selectedpoint of transaction, and selecting the route with the lowest crimerate.

Recommending a subset of the possible points of transaction may befurther based on fees at each of the possible points of transaction forcompleting the transaction. In some embodiments, the method furtherincludes scheduling the transaction for completion at the selected pointof transaction. In some embodiments, the method further includesdetecting a type of channel the request is received through, whererecommending, to the user, a subset of the possible points oftransaction to complete the transaction is further based on the channel.

One embodiment includes a non-transitory machine-readable medium havingmachine executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed byone or more processors, direct the one or more processors to perform amethod including receiving a request to register a user device of a userwith the customer account; collecting identifying information related tothe user device; associating the user device and the identifyinginformation related to the user device with the customer account;receiving a request for a financial transaction from the user device;processing the financial transaction, where processing the financialtransaction comprises determining that user interaction at a point oftransaction is necessary to complete the financial transaction;determining possible points of transaction based on a location of theuser and a type of the requested transaction; accessing user preferenceinformation relating to the possible points of transaction, where theuser preferences includes a type of the point of transaction and amaximum wait time, accessing information relating to a past behavior ofthe user, where information relating to the past behavior of the usercomprises previously used points of transaction for similar transactionsand previously used points of transaction during a similar time of day;determining a safety factor related to each of the possible points oftransactions, where determining the safety factor includes accessingpublic records; and determining crime rates associated with the possiblepoints of transactions; recommending, to the user, a subset of thepossible points of transaction based at least in part on the userpreference information relating to the possible points of transaction,the safety factor related to each of the possible points of transaction,and the past behavior of the user; receiving a selection of a point oftransaction; in response to receiving a selection of the point oftransaction, generating a route to the selected point of transaction;presenting the route to the user; and scheduling the financialtransaction for completion at the point of transaction.

One embodiment includes a system with one or more processors; andcomputer-readable code that programs the one or more processors toreceive a request to register a user device of a user with the customeraccount; collect identifying information related to the user device;associate the user device and the identifying information related to theuser device with the customer account; receive a request for a financialtransaction from the user device; process the financial transaction,where processing the financial transaction comprises determining thatuser interaction at a point of transaction is necessary to complete thefinancial transaction; determine the possible points of transactionbased on a location of the user and a type of the requested transaction;access user preference information relating to the possible points oftransaction, where the user preferences comprise a type of the point oftransaction and a maximum wait time; access information relating to apast behavior of the user, where information relating to the pastbehavior of the user comprises previously used points of transaction forsimilar transactions and previously used points of transaction during asimilar time of day; determine a safety factor related to each of thepossible points of transactions, where determining the safety factorincludes accessing public records; and determining crime ratesassociated with the possible points of transactions; recommend, to theuser, a subset of the possible points of transaction based at least inpart on the user preference information relating to the possible pointsof transaction, the safety factor related to each of the possible pointsof transaction, and the past behavior of the user; receive a selectionof a point of transaction; in response to receiving a selection of thepoint of transaction, generate a route to the selected point oftransaction; and present the route to the user; and schedule thefinancial transaction for completion at the point of transaction.

While multiple embodiments are disclosed, still other embodiments of thepresent invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art fromthe following detailed description, which shows and describesillustrative embodiments of the invention. As will be realized, theinvention is capable of modifications in various aspects, all withoutdeparting from the scope of the present invention. Accordingly, thedrawings and detailed description are to be regarded as illustrative innature and not restrictive.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the present invention will be described and explainedthrough the use of the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates an example of an operating environment in which someembodiments of the present invention may be utilized;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating components that can be includedin a system in accordance with various embodiments of the presentinvention;

FIG. 3 is a flow chart illustrating a set of operations in accordancewith some embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating a set of operations in accordancewith some embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating a set of operations in accordancewith some embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 6 illustrates an example of a user interface;

FIG. 7 illustrates examples of user interfaces;

FIG. 8 illustrates an example of a user interface;

FIG. 9 illustrates an example of a user interface;

FIG. 10 illustrates examples of user interfaces;

FIG. 11 illustrates examples of user interfaces;

FIG. 12 illustrates an example of a user interface;

FIG. 13 illustrates examples of user interfaces;

FIG. 14 illustrates an example of a user interface;

FIG. 15 illustrates an example of a user interface;

FIG. 16 illustrates an example of a user interface;

FIG. 17 illustrates an example of a user interface;

FIG. 18 illustrates an example of a user interface;

FIG. 19 illustrates an example of a user interface;

FIG. 20 illustrates an example of a user interface;

FIG. 21 illustrates an example of a user interface;

FIG. 22 is a flow chart illustrating a set of example operations fortransacting in advance in accordance with some embodiments of thepresent invention;

FIG. 23 is a flow chart illustrating a set of example operations fortransacting in advance in accordance with some embodiments of thepresent invention;

FIG. 24 is a flow chart illustrating a set of example operations fortransacting in advance in accordance with some embodiments of thepresent invention;

FIG. 25 is a sequence diagram illustrating a set of operations; and

FIG. 26 illustrates an example of a computer system with which someembodiments of the present invention may be utilized.

The drawings have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, thedimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be expanded orreduced to help improve the understanding of the embodiments of thepresent invention. Similarly, some components and/or operations may beseparated into different blocks or operations or combined into a singleblock or operation for the purposes of discussion of some of theembodiments of the present invention. Moreover, while the invention isamenable to various modifications and alternative forms, specificembodiments have been shown by way of example in the drawings and aredescribed in detail below. The intention, however, is not to limit theinvention to the particular embodiments described. On the contrary, theinvention is intended to cover all modifications, equivalents, andalternatives falling within the scope of the invention as defined by theappended claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Various embodiments of the present invention generally relate totransactions. More specifically, methods and systems for generating andstaging transactions at a point of transaction are disclosed. In someembodiments, the transaction is a financial transaction. In suchembodiments, a customer initiates and completes a portion of atransaction using a registered device, receives recommendations ofpoints of transactions where the transaction can be completed, andschedules a time to complete the transaction (or places the transactionin a queue) at the selected point of transaction. Therefore, at least aportion of the transaction may be completed prior to the time thecustomer goes to the point of transaction, and wait lines may be avoidedby scheduling a completion time of the transaction at the selected pointof transaction. Further, customers may prefer to complete a transactionto the extent possible in the privacy of their home or vehicle tominimize the risk of identity theft that has been problematic at ATMsand other banking locations.

In some embodiments, a customer requests a transaction that requiressome type of user interaction at a point of transaction to complete thetransaction, such as depositing cash, cashing a check, or providing asigned copy of a document. The user may identify where the customerwould like to complete the transaction. Sometimes, the customeridentifies a general location for completion or the user's mobile devicemay help determine a location. Points of transaction around the area ofthe identified completion location are determined. This determinationmay include an analysis of suitable and preferable points oftransaction. These possible points of transaction are displayed for thecustomer on the user device. The customer may select the particularpoint of transaction. A unique identifier may be generated for thetransaction and sent to the user. The customer may present the uniqueidentifier to the point of transaction, which identifies the transactionand, in some cases, authenticates the customer. The content of theinformation contained in the unique identifier may depend on thesophistication of the point of transaction and/or a relationship, ifany, with the transacting entity or financial institution. Commonlyassigned application U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/425,227entitled “Dynamic Risk Engine” discusses performing activities on onechannel and transferring the activities seamlessly to a differentchannel during a session, which is hereby incorporated by reference forall purposes in its entirety.

In a specific example, a customer launches a mobile application, isauthenticated, selects the type of transaction such as “Deposit at aRetail Location,” (or the like) and selects an account to deposit into,along with the amount of the deposit, if known. The customer may simplyidentify the retail location or other point of transaction where theuser wishes to make the deposit, such as a CVS store, a UPS store, etc.The transaction may be scheduled for completion at the selected retaillocation. A unique identifier may be generated and sent to the customerto provide the point of transaction. The customer may present the uniqueidentifier and make the deposit at the selected point of transaction.

The description discusses financial transactions and “bankinglocations.” However, the references to financial transactions andbanking locations are for illustration only; the concepts are equallyapplicable to other types of transactions and various types of networkand physical locations.

In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, numerousspecific details are set forth in order to provide a thoroughunderstanding of embodiments of the present invention. It will beapparent, however, to one skilled in the art that embodiments of thepresent invention may be practiced without some of these specificdetails. For example, many of the embodiments are discussed with regardto examples involving banking transactions. One of skill in the art willrecognize that embodiments of the present invention are equallyapplicable to other types of transactions in other industries.

FIG. 1 illustrates an example of an operating environment 100 in whichsome embodiments of the present invention may be utilized. Theembodiments of the present invention illustrated in FIG. 1 allow userinteractions through various points of interaction such as, but notlimited to, dedicated terminals 110 (e.g., public terminal or kiosk),ATM networks 115 (e.g., interbank ATM network and intrabank ATMnetworks), mobile devices 120 (e.g., mobile phone, smartphone, laptop,tablet computer), personal computers 125, point of sale (POS) devices130, and vehicle 135. These points of interaction can include mechanismsfor generating, submitting and processing transactions through network140 to banking network 145 and may run one or more applications orclients that allow a user to interact with the banking network 145. Suchapplications may provide access to various banking processing systemsand interfaces that include banking functionality such as withdrawals,balance inquiries, deposits, transfers, etc.

Dedicated terminals 110 such as public terminals/kiosks may be computersavailable to the public and/or specially designed kiosks that interactwith banking network 145. ATM network 115 can be any set of ATMs in aninterbank ATM network and/or intrabank ATM network. Mobile device 120may be cellular phones, smart phones (a smart phone being a cellularphone that has capabilities and features such as, but not limited to,internet access, a full keyboard, email access, Wi-Fi connectioncapabilities, BLUETOOTH connectivity, or any other functionality of acomputer), tablet computers (a portable computer having a touchinterface), netbooks, and/or laptops possibly with a wireless connection(such as an 802.11a/b/g connection or mobile broadband connection, suchas via a 3G or 4G wireless network). Personal computer 125 may be anycomputer (e.g., desktop computers, laptop computers, netbooks, tabletcomputers, Internet-enabled television devices, etc.) connected tonetwork 140. Vehicle 135 may include software and/or hardware providinga system capable of communicating with the points of interaction.Additionally, a mobile device 120 or other device may be communicablycoupled with vehicle 135, such as via Bluetooth or other appropriatewireless link, hardwire connected to the vehicle 135, docked in aspecially-designed docking station integral to the vehicle 135 asdescribed in U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/481,036 “DedicatedShort-Range Communications (DSRC) to Make Payments from Vehicles UsingVehicle-Based, Cloud-Based or Smartphone-Based Mobile Wallets” and U.S.patent application Ser. No. 13/460,380 entitled “Dedicated Short-RangeCommunications (DSRC) to Make Payments from Vehicles UsingVehicle-Based, Cloud-Based or Smartphone-Based Mobile Wallets,” both ofwhich are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

POS device 130 can be any device used as a checkout or payment receivingmechanism for a merchant or service provider such as a hospital,ambulance company, doctor, automobile repair shop, pharmacy, clothingstore, and others. For example, POS device 130 can be a terminal locatedat a merchant, a computer-based interface such as a webpage or customapplication, a telephone payment system, and others.

Banking network 145 may include any number of membership organizations,banks, credit unions, or other financial institutions. In accordancewith embodiments of the present disclosure, banking network 145 can usea variety of interaction methods, protocols, and systems. For example,banking network 145 can use any of the automated clearing house (ACH)networks. An ACH network may be operated by NACHA (previously referredto as the National Automated Clearing House Association). Another ACHnetwork may be the Electronic Payments Network (EPN). These ACH networksmay interact to settle ACH transactions involving a party that has arelationship with only NACHA's ACH network or only the EPN. Otherbanking networks, such as CIRRUS, NYCE, and PULSE may also be used.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, banking network 145 can be communicablycoupled to one or more databases such as financial account database 150and member database 155. These databases can have a variety ofinformation that can be utilized by the transacting in advance systems.For example, financial account database 150 includes account informationfor members of a financial institution. Member database 155 storesinformation about members (or customers) of a membership organization(or financial institution). For example, member database 155 may storeinformation associated with member devices such as mobile device 120 orpersonal computer 125, should the member choose to register the device.Additionally, membership database 155 can include information such asemployer, total balance of all accounts held at the membershiporganization, credit ratings, home ownership information, annual salary,length of membership, purchase history, user-selectable preferences fortransactions such as banking, and/or other information. In someembodiments, these two databases can be integrated into one database. Acomputer system associated with a membership organization, a bank, acredit union, or other financial institution within banking network 145may be able to access these (and other) databases for accountinformation, customer information, and other stored information.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating components that can be includedin a transacting in advance system 200 in accordance with variousembodiments of the present invention. Some or all of the componentsdescribed in FIG. 2 may be used to perform the operations described inFIGS. 3-5 and 22-23. Components in the transacting in advance system 200may be installed on mobile device 120, personal computer 125, POS device130, or a computing device at a financial organization for example.According to the embodiments shown in FIG. 2, the transacting in advancesystem 200 can include memory 210, one or more processors 220, deviceregistration module 230; processing module 240, location determinationmodule 250, point of transaction module 260, information module 270,mapping module 275, unique identifier module 280, point of transactiondetection module 285, image receiving module 290, and GUI generationmodule 295. Other embodiments of the present disclosure may includesome, all, or none of these modules and components along with othermodules, applications, and/or components. Still yet, some embodimentsmay incorporate two or more of these modules into a single module and/orassociate a portion of the functionality of one or more of these moduleswith a different module.

Memory 210 can be any device, mechanism, or populated data structureused for storing information. In accordance with some embodiments of thepresent invention, memory 210 can encompass any type of, but is notlimited to, volatile memory, nonvolatile memory, and dynamic memory. Forexample, memory 210 can be random access memory, memory storage devices,optical memory devices, magnetic media, floppy disks, magnetic tapes,hard drives, SIMMs, SDRAM, DIMMs, RDRAM, DDR RAM, SODIMMS, erasableprogrammable read-only memories (EPROMs), electrically erasableprogrammable read-only memories (EEPROMs), compact disks, DVDs, and/orthe like. In accordance with some embodiments, memory 210 may includeone or more disk drives, flash drives, databases, tables, files, localcache memories, processor cache memories, relational databases, flatdatabases, and/or the like. In addition, those of ordinary skill in theart will appreciate many additional devices and techniques for storinginformation which can be used as memory 210.

Memory 210 may be used to store instructions for running one or moreapplications or modules on processor(s) 220. For example, memory 210could be used in one or more embodiments to house all or some of theinstructions needed to execute the functionality of device registrationmodule 230, processing module 240, location determination module 250,point of transaction module 260, information module 270, mapping module275, unique identifier module 280, point of transaction detection module285, image receiving module 290, and GUI generation module 295.

Device registration module 230 is configured to register one or moredevices with a customer account. Registration may include providing aphone number, if the device is a smartphone, for example. Registeringmay include a process where the customer downloads an applicationprovided by the transacting organization onto the device, enabling thecustomer to transact in advance. The customer may choose to registerdevices associated with family members or friends with the customer'saccount. Registering other people's devices with the customer's accountmay assist in completing transactions such as transferring or receivingfunds to or from the other person, allowing another person to complete atransaction for the customer, and in other transactions.

The registered devices may include any computing device including, butnot limited to a mobile phone, smartphone, tablet computer, laptopcomputer, desktop computer, communication device associated with avehicle, and the like. In some embodiments, device registration module230 is configured to collect identifying information related to the userdevice. The identifying information may include a device fingerprint, IPaddress, phone number, etc. The device registration module 230 may beconfigured to associate the user device with the customer account usingthe identifying information. The device may be registered with thecustomer account prior to receiving the request for the transaction orduring a transaction.

Processing module 240 is configured to process any transaction that isreceived. Processing may include withdrawing funds for pendingtransactions, documenting an insurance claim, etc. Processing module 240may be configured to determine whether it will be necessary for thecustomer to go to a point of transaction such as a physical location ora network location to complete the transaction. Processing module 240may also be configured to receive images from image receiving module290, process the image, and extract information from the image.

Location determination module 250 is configured to determine a currentlocation of the customer or receive an indication of where the userwishes to complete the transaction. Location determination module 250may be configured to receive information from the processing moduleregarding whether a location needs to be determined. Locationdetermination module may use functionality on the customer's mobiledevice to determine the user's location. Alternatively, the customer mayprovide a location by keying in a zip code or an address. Sometimes thelocation for the completion of the transaction may be different than thecustomer's current location. For example, if the customer wishes totransfer money for pick-up by another, the customer may key in or statethe recipient's location. In some embodiments, the customer may providea recipient's name and allow the location determination module 250 todetermine a location associated with the recipient. For example, if therecipient has a registered device or is otherwise associated with thecustomer's account, the location determination module 250 may use thisinformation to locate the recipient. The location determination modulemay use address information stored in the customer's mobile device tolocate the recipient.

Point of transaction module 260 is configured to determine possiblepoints of transaction in a prescribed radius of the determined locationfor transaction completion, as supplied by the location determinationmodule 250. For example, the customer's transaction may include thepurchase of a gift card. Point of transaction module 260 is configuredto determine the points of transactions that are capable of dispensinggift cards. Point of transaction module 260 may be further configured todetermine whether the points of transaction are in working order tocomplete the transaction. For example, point of transaction module 260may determine that a particular point of transaction in the prescribedradius is out of gift cards. Thus, this point of transaction would notbe included in the possible points of transaction. Point of transactionmodule 260 may additionally be configured to provide the possible pointsof transaction to information module 270.

Information module 270 is configured to receive the possible points oftransaction from point of transaction module 260, gather information,including preference information, historical information, and publiclyavailable information and to provide a recommendation of a subset of thepossible points of transaction based on the information. In someembodiments, information module 270 is configured to access account andmember information from financial account database 150 and memberdatabase 155, which may include customer preference data and pastbehavioral data.

Customer preferences may include user-selectable preferences or criteriathat the customer has provided to the financial institution or othertransacting entity prior to the transaction. Such preferences mayinclude the customer's preferred type of point of transaction location(e.g., kiosk, ATM, drive-through, POS device at certain store, networklocation) for various transactions. Preferences may include a preferenceof a type of point of transaction or a specific point of transactiondepending on the type of transaction being staged, the time the customeris staging the transaction, the specified completion time of thetransaction, the device used for staging, and the like. For example,suppose the customer has specified a preference for schedulingtransactions at a point of transaction in a grocery store when thetransaction is staged from the customer's at-home computer. If a requestis received from the customer's at-home computer, then the point oftransaction at a grocery store may be automatically selected, or atleast included in the list of recommended possible points oftransactions.

Devices, such as the at-home computer may be identified by devicefingerprinting, internet protocol address, or the like. In someembodiments, a request is received through a particular type of channeland/or in a particular manner, such as communication received from avehicle device, communication sent via email from a home computer,communication sent via mobile application on a user mobile device, etc.The customer may provide additional preferences or have particularhistory with one channel and/or manner or another, which may be used inrecommending points of transaction. Customer preferences also mayinclude a maximum wait time a customer is willing to wait at a point oftransaction or a maximum radius that the customer is willing to travelto a point of transaction from the identified location, or maximum feesthe customer is willing to pay for a transaction.

Past behavioral data may include any information regarding pasttransactions such as where the customer typically performs certain typesof transactions. For example, if a customer typically deposits checks ata grocery store ATM or consistently withdraws cash at a brick-and-mortarbank, the customer may be directed to a corresponding location for thetype of transaction requested. Past behavior relating to similartransactions may be used as well.

Additionally, public data may be accessed in determining andrecommending points of transactions or routes to the points oftransactions. For example, public data may be accessed to determine thesafety of a given point of transaction. Or, for example, if a customertraveling abroad requests a cash withdrawal, the points of transactioncapable of completing the transaction, within a given radius, may begiven a rank or ordered in a list according to the crime rate associatedwith that area based on public records. Crime rates may be determinedfor each possible point of transaction, the crime rate in the localarea, and/or crime rate in a predefined area close to the point oftransaction.

Additionally, public records may be used to determine the safest routeto get to a point of transaction. Public records or information suppliedby an entity associated with the point of transaction may indicate whichpoints of transactions are out of service (or the functionality of eachis out of service), which have long lines, or any other reason to avoida point of transaction. Fees associated with the transaction at eachpoint of transaction may be determined from internal or externaldatabases.

Each point of transaction may be given a score based on one or more ofthe various factors including the crime rate, past behavioral data, orcustomer preferences.

Mapping module 275 may be configured to provide a map of the recommendedpoints of transaction. The map may be user-customizable and may includedirections to the points of transaction.

Unique identifier module 280 is configured to generate a uniqueidentifier for the transaction. In some embodiments the uniqueidentifier is based at least in part on the selected point oftransaction. The unique identifier module 280 may be further configuredto populate the unique identifier with information relating to thetransaction. This unique identifier is communicated to the customer forpresentation at the point of transaction. The unique identifier mayinclude an account number, transaction identifier, type of transaction,date and time of when the transaction was staged, staging location,details of the device used, transaction amounts, recipients, window fortransaction completion, etc.

Generally, for information security reasons, it is preferable to includeless information in the unique identifier. However, various factors maydictate the amount of information to be included. For example, the usermay provide a preference of the amount and type of information to beincluded in the unique identifier. Or the relationship of thetransacting entity and the point of transaction and/or the capabilitiesof the point of transaction may determine the amount of informationincluded in the unique identifier. For example, if the point oftransaction has an established relationship (e.g., with an affiliatedorganization), and/or has signed agreements with the transacting entity,then less information may be required in the unique identifier tocomplete the transaction. In a further example, the unique identifiermay include only a transaction identifier (e.g., a number oralphanumeric code).

Upon presentation of the transaction identifier, with the properauthorization and capability, the point of transaction may directlyaccess the user records using the transaction identifier and retrievethe transaction details to sufficiently complete the transaction withoutfurther action by the transacting entity. In some embodiments, theunique identifier includes or is a machine-readable identifier, such asa quick response code or a universal product code.

The unique identifier may contain sufficient information to complete thetransaction without accessing the transacting entity's records. In someembodiments, additional information is required and the point oftransaction uses the unique identifier to alert the transacting entityand request information relating to the transaction. The transactingentity may then use the unique identifier, or other information, toaccess the user records to identify the transaction and communicate theinformation relating to the transaction to the point of transaction fortransaction completion. In some embodiments, the unique identifier byitself or in combination with additional identifying information such asthe user device is used to authenticate the customer at the point oftransaction.

The unique identifier may further include information relating theuser's preferences at the point of transaction. For example, the uniqueidentifier may indicate that the user does not prefer receipts, orprefers to receive a receipt showing balances of all accounts, etc. Insome embodiments, the transacting entity supplying the unique identifieris a membership organization and the unique identifier is a memberidentification number. In some embodiments, the unique identifier module280 is further configured to assign an expiration time to the uniqueidentifier such that if the unique identifier is not used within acertain period of time or by a certain date, the unique identifiercannot be used to complete the transaction. The customer may be requiredto re-submit the transaction or take some other action to revive thetransaction.

Point of transaction detection module 285 is configured to detect whenthe device is near a possible point of transaction, such as by using ageo-fencing functionality. Point of transaction detection module 285 maybe further configured to alert the customer that the customer is near apossible point of transaction after detecting that the device is near apossible point of transaction. The detected possible point oftransaction may be the selected point of transaction or it may be apoint of transaction that is different than the selected point oftransaction. If the detected point of transaction is the selected pointof transaction, the selected point of transaction may automaticallyprocess the transaction (if additional processing is necessary) suchthat the user need only authenticate his or her self at the selectedpoint of transaction.

Point of transaction detection module 285 may be further configured tocommunicate to the customer that the transaction is ready forcompletion. If the detected possible point of transaction is not theselected point of transaction, the point of transaction detection module285 may be configured to communicate to the customer that the customeris near a possible point of transaction and that the transaction can becompleted at that point of transaction, if the customer chooses. Thecustomer may indicate that the customer will complete the transaction atthe new point of transaction. In some embodiments, a new uniqueidentifier may be generated for the new point of transaction and sent tothe customer. If so, the original unique identifier may be expired earlyor deactivated for security purposes.

The user device may be detected to begin completion of the transactionusing various methods. For example, the user may keep an application onthe device in a continuous transmission mode, broadcasting its locationvia a mobile application to the transacting entity or points oftransaction. If so, when the user is within a predetermined radius ofthe transacting entity or point of transaction, the transaction may beprocessed such that the transaction is ready for completion when theuser arrives at the transacting entity or point of transaction. Inanother example, a user may open a mobile application and log on whenapproaching a transacting entity or point of transaction, thus startingthe transmission signaling the user's presence to the transacting entityor point of transaction.

Image receiving module 290 is configured to receive a digital image of acheck, insurance document, or other image for a transaction that hasbeen remotely captured by a user (e.g., using a camera or screen capturefunction on a mobile device). The digital image can be captured atdedicated terminals 110, an ATM in ATM network 115, mobile device 120,personal computer 125, vehicle 135, and/or point of sale (POS) device130. In some embodiments, image receiving module 290 can requestadditional images from the user (e.g., if the image cannot besuccessfully processed).

GUI generation module 295 can generate one or more user interfacescreens designed to receive user inputs, select accounts for deposit,display the maps from the mapping module 275, and/or process otherrequests from the customer.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart illustrating a set of example operations 300 fortransacting in advance in accordance with some embodiments of thepresent invention. The operations described with respect to FIG. 3 maybe accomplished by one or more of the components described with respectto FIG. 2. Operations described with respect to FIGS. 4 and 5 may beincluded in FIG. 3. FIG. 3 is described with respect to a bankingactivity. However, the operations described with respect to FIG. 3 canapply to various other types of transactions in other industries.

In operation 310, a financial institution receives a registrationrequest from a customer to register one or more devices with thefinancial institution by associating the device with the customer'saccount. As discussed, registration may include gatheringdevice-identifying information such as a phone number or devicefingerprint.

In operation 320, a request for a financial transaction is received froma customer using a registered device. The request may be made via awebsite (usaa.com), via a mobile application (mobile.usaa), or via atablet computer (USAA app for iPad). Using the registered device, thecustomer proceeds with the transaction. In some examples, at this point,the customer may be able to complete an entire transaction. However, inother examples, the customer has initiated and completed a portion ofthe transaction, but to finish the transaction, the customer or arepresentative must physically go to a banking location such as an ATMor POS device. For example, the transaction may include the customercashing a check. Using the customer's registered device, the customermay send an image of the check to the financial institution. Thefinancial institution can process the transaction. However, to receivecash from the check, the customer, or a representative, must physicallygo to a banking location.

Operations 330-360 illustrate the steps of determining and recommendingbanking locations to the customer to complete the transaction. Inoperation 330, location information associated with the transactioncompletion location is determined and identified. In some embodiments,the customer wants to complete the transaction at a banking locationclose or within a certain proximity to the customer's current location.The customer's current location is determined using any method known inthe art. For example, the customer's device may be capable ofdetermining the customer's location, which may be communicated to thefinancial institution via an application. Or the customer may provide acurrent location to the application. The customer may select a locationfrom a map that is presented to the customer.

In other embodiments, the customer may want to complete the transactionat a location other than the customer's current location. The customermay indicate a general area, such as a zip code, or a particular area,such as an address, where the customer would like to complete thetransaction. For example, if a third party not in the vicinity of thecustomer is the recipient of the transaction or will be completing thetransaction (i.e. picking up the cash), the customer may provide anaddress of the third party. Alternatively, an application could retrieveand tag location information from the customer's calendar. Ultimately,the location information regarding where the customer chooses tocomplete the transaction is used to identify banking locations capableof completing the transaction that are within a user-defined orpredefined radius of the identified location. A list of the identifiedbanking locations may be compiled.

In operation 340, customer preferences, past behavioral data, andpublicly available data may be accessed to order and tailor the list ofbanking locations capable of completing the transaction.

In operation 350, the customer is provided with a recommendation ofbanking locations where the customer may complete the transaction. Therecommendation can be based on the information accessed in thedatabases, including the preexisting preferences, public data, and pastbehavioral data. The recommendation may include a list of bankinglocations, including a description of the banking locations, and drivingdirections, maps, fees associated (if any), safety information, andcurrent wait times based upon pending transactions from customers usinga similar technology for each listed banking location.

In operation 360, the customer selects the banking location andcommunicates the selection to the financial institution. Next, inoperation 370, the financial institution processes the selection andschedules the transaction for the selected banking location. Schedulingthe transaction may include placing the transaction in a queue, to becompleted at a particular time or to be completed at the customer'sconvenience after providing proper identification to the bankinglocation. Additional information is provided to the selected bankinglocation as necessary. A confirmation message including details aboutthe scheduled transaction and the selected banking location may be sentto the customer. A unique identifier may be sent to the customer thatcan be used to provide transaction details to the selected bankinglocation and/or authentication purposes.

In operation 380, the customer is authenticated when the customerreaches the banking location. Either or both the banking location andthe financial institution may authenticate the customer at the bankinglocation. In some embodiments the banking location is affiliated withthe financial institution. The customer may be authenticated by anymethod known in art, including by supplying an identification card, apin number associated with a card, information, biometric data,information regarding the registered device, and so on.

In some embodiments, for security purposes, several identifying piecesof information may be used in combination to authenticate the user andto identify the transactions. If the customer received a confirmationemail or other communication that included a unique identifier asdiscussed above, the unique identifier may be used to identify thetransaction and/or authenticate the user. The unique identifier mayinclude a quick response code or universal product code that thecustomer presents to the banking location to authenticate the customer.In a non-limiting example, the user may be asked or required to presentthe unique identifier only on a device registered with the customeraccount, and the user may also be required to provide biometric evidenceidentifying the user (e.g., voice, fingerprint, real-time photograph orvideo). After authentication, the customer can interact with the bankinglocation to complete the scheduled transaction, as indicated inoperation 390. In some embodiments the QR code or a transactionidentifier is all that is required for the user to complete thetransaction.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating a set of example operations 400 fortransacting in advance in accordance with some embodiments of thepresent invention. The operations described with respect to FIG. 3 maybe accomplished by one or more of the components described with respectto FIG. 2. Operations described with respect to FIGS. 4 and 5 may beincluded in FIG. 4.

Receiving operation 410 receives a request for a transaction. Therequest may be received from a registered user device. In processingoperation 420, the request is processed. During the processing operation420, it is determined that user interaction at a point of transaction isnecessary to complete the transaction.

Determining possible points of transaction operation 430 determinespossible points of transaction. The possible points of transaction arebased on a location of the user (or a location the user indicates thetransaction should be completed) and a type of the requestedtransaction. For example, a possible point of transaction may be a pointof transaction within a predetermined radius of the user with thecapability to complete the transaction. The possible points oftransaction may be determined by a relationship of the point oftransaction with the transacting entity, and/or capability.

Accessing operation 440 accesses the user's preferences and/or otherinformation. Such information may include maximum wait times preferred,a type of point of transaction, a point of transaction coordinating witha scheduled location on the user's calendar, points of transaction whereprevious similar transactions took place, points of transaction usedbefore or during a certain time of day, lighting or other safetyinformation relating to the points of transaction, etc. Informationrelated to registered devices may be accessed. In some embodiments, thecustomer provides a user preference list identifying the preferredcharacteristics of the points of transactions.

Recommending operation 450 recommends a subset of possible points oftransaction. The recommendation may be based on the information accessedin accessing operation 440. For example, the request may be receivedfrom a registered device of the customer. It may be determined that theuser prefers a certain type of point of transaction while using theregistered device. This information may be used in combination withother information to determine options of points of transactions thatwould be most helpful to the customer.

Receiving point of transaction operation 460 receives a selection of apoint of transaction from the user. Based on this point of transaction,the transaction may be put into a queue for the user so that the userneed only provide identification to the point of transaction to completethe transaction. In some embodiments a unique identifier is provided tothe user which may serve as the user's identification.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating a set of example operations 500 fortransacting in advance in accordance with some embodiments of thepresent invention. The operations described with respect to FIG. 5 maybe accomplished by one or more of the components described with respectto FIG. 2. Operations described with respect to FIGS. 3 and 4 may beincluded in FIG. 5.

Receiving operation 510 receives a request for a transaction. Thetransaction must be completed at a point of transaction. The point oftransaction may be a website or it may be a physical location such as anATM.

Identifying operation 520 identifies a general location for completionof the transaction. The location may be provided by the user such as byuser input. The location may be determined by user selection of commonlocations, or selection of a recipient to complete the transaction, etc.For example, if a customer selects a recipient, a location near therecipient may be provided or determined based on the recipient'sregistered device or past transactions with the recipient.

Determining possible points of transaction operation 530 determinespossible points of transaction within a predetermined distance of theidentified location. The predetermined distance may be a user-selectableitem or it may be determined by the availability of points oftransaction in and around the identified location.

Displaying possible points of transaction operation 540 displays thepossible points of transaction. The possible points of transaction maybe displayed on a user-customizable map, or the possible points oftransaction may be provided in a selectable list.

Receiving point of transaction operation 550 receives a selection of apoint of transaction from the user.

Unique identifier generating operation 560 generates a unique identifierfor the transaction. The unique identifier may be based on the selectedpoint of transaction, providing additional information if needed tocomplete the transaction. The unique identifier may include informationrelating to the transaction such as account numbers, amount information,order information, etc. The unique identifier may be simply a number, orit may be a quick response code or universal product code.

Providing unique identifier operation 570 provides the unique identifierto the user. The unique identifier may be communicated via email, textmessage, user account on a website, or through a phone call from arepresentative. In some embodiments, the content of the uniqueidentifier is based on the mode of communication. The unique identifiermay be presented to the point of transaction to complete thetransaction.

FIGS. 6-21 are examples of user interfaces that may be used in variousembodiments. For example, the illustration in FIG. 6 is an example menufor the customer to indicate various options with a mobile application,including an option to transfer or deposit funds. Should the user decideto transfer or deposit funds (605), the user may be required to log onas depicted in FIG. 7. FIG. 7 depicts alternative methods of logging on,shown on two alternative user interfaces, one requiring an online ID andpassword (705), and the other simply requiring a PIN (710). FIG. 8depicts an example user interface displayed when the user selects thetransfer/deposit funds option on the menu.

FIG. 9 depicts an example user interface displayed if the user selectsdeposit funds option. For example, the user may select “Retail LocationDeposit” or “Deposit@Mobile.” FIG. 10 depicts a user interface allowingthe user to select a deposit account, or enter a cash amount (1005).FIG. 10 also depicts a user interface allowing the user to select anaccount (1010). FIG. 11 depicts a user interface with a selection of aparticular deposit account (1105). FIG. 11 also depicts a user interfacedisplaying information pertinent to the transaction and notifying theuser that the information will be sent to a retail system (1110).

FIG. 12 depicts a user interface displaying a map in which a uniqueidentifier (Reference Number) can be used to complete the transaction.FIG. 13 depicts a user interface listing all pending transactions forthe user (1305). FIG. 13 also depicts a user interface showingadditional details related to a particular pending transaction (1310).The more specific information displayed in 1310 appears when the userselects the particular pending transaction.

FIG. 14 depicts an example user interface for using “Advance Deposit.”FIG. 15 depicts a user interface or request for a transaction to send ordeposit a user-supplied amount of money. The user may select whether theuser is depositing the funds using cash or a check. FIG. 16 depicts auser interface displaying a map depicting several possible points oftransaction locations. In some embodiments the points of transaction areuser-selectable on the map. FIG. 17 depicts a user interface allowing auser to input an address, specifying the selected point of transaction.

FIG. 18 depicts a user interface showing the selected or identifiedpoint of transaction. The user interface allows the user to select a newaddress as well. FIG. 19 depicts a user interface communicating to theuser that the location for the point of transaction is set. FIG. 20depicts a user interface displaying the destination information, whichis an account in the example, and the transaction location whichincludes the name and address of the retail location. FIG. 21 depicts auser interface displaying example of a Quick Response code and atransaction identifier, which together or separately may be a uniqueidentifier. The Quick Response code and/or the transaction identifiermay be sent to the user.

In some examples, the transacting in advance system may be used tofacilitate a transaction between two different people. In someembodiments, the other person has a registered device associated withthe customer's account. This enables another person to use a registereddevice in a similar manner as the customer, employing the sametechniques and methods described above. If, for example, the otherperson is the recipient of a transaction, after the transaction isrequested by the customer, the recipient may use her registered deviceto locate a banking location and complete the staged transaction.

For example, if a parent wants to send his or her child, a collegestudent living in a different state, some cash to pay for a cab ridehome, the parent can schedule a transaction to be completed at a bankinglocation close to the child. The banking location may be selected by theparent or the child using one of the registered devices and thetechniques described above. At the selected banking location, the childwill provide identification or authentication. The registered device mayauthenticate the child in some examples. In some examples, the parent orthe financial institution may send a code or pin to the child's mobiledevice or email address. The child may be required to produce the codeor pin in order to receive the cash from the banking location. Or, insome embodiments, the financial institution may provide a video orphotograph of the person at the banking location to enable the parent toverify that the person at the banking location is in fact the intendedbeneficiary. The video or photograph may be sent to the parent's mobiledevice for verification.

Alternatively, the financial institution may provide internalverification by comparing the photo or video with stored data. Theparents may include additional instructions to the financial institutionto verify the child's identity, such as requiring a driver's license. Insome embodiments, the financial institution or the parent maytemporarily take over the recipient's mobile device and provide theinformation necessary to complete the transaction. A confirmation of thetransaction may be sent to both registered devices.

If the recipient's device is not pre-authorized or registered, therecipient may provide other identification verification. For example,the recipient may have provided the financial institution identificationsuch as DNA, fingerprint, or a photograph in the past, or can offer suchevidence contemporaneously with the transaction.

In an embodiment, fees of the identified banking locations may beassessed and the information may be provided to the customer and to athird party of a transaction, if applicable. In some examples, the feesmay be collected from the person initiating the transaction. In someembodiments, the financial institution reimburses the person, if theperson is a customer.

To enhance the security of the information passed between customers andthe banking location, in some embodiments, there may be an encrypted RFfield around the point of transaction. In an embodiment, directconnections between a customer's mobile device and the point oftransaction are secured. Alternatively, the communication path betweenthe customer's mobile device and the financial institution's back endsystem at the banking location is encrypted.

In some embodiments, a transaction is staged such that a vendor orrepresentative of the transacting entity receives or is notified of thetransaction. A mobile unit associated with the transacting entity willbe notified and will go to a specified location such as the customer'shome or office to complete the transaction.

Some non-limiting examples of how customers may use various embodimentsof the present invention are described in the following scenarios.

A customer may be waiting in line at an ATM or other point oftransaction. While waiting in line at an ATM, the customer stages his orher transaction so that as soon as the ATM becomes available, thecustomer need only be authenticated for the transaction to be completed.In some embodiments, the customer's mobile device alerts the customerthat the customer is near the ATM and asks the customer if he or shewould like to complete the transaction.

In a non-limiting example, a customer initiates a transaction whilewaiting in the drive-up teller window line at the bank. The transactionis processed and ready for completion prior to the customer reaching theteller.

In a non-limiting example, a parent provides cash to a child bytransferring money for the child to pick up at a banking location nearthe child. Alternatively, a retailer may schedule a cash money order tobe picked up or delivered at an ATM or other point of transaction.

In another non-limiting example, a customer syncs a calendar to supplyinformation such as location and time for scheduled transactions (e.g.,dinner reservations noted in the calendar are scheduled at a certaintime and the customer wants to withdraw money from an ATM close to therestaurant; the ATM will be prepared to complete the transaction closeto scheduled dinner time).

In another non-limiting example, a person applies for life insurance andcompletes the application process except the finishing step of providingauthentication, which is scheduled to be completed around lunchtime at apoint of transaction near the person's office building.

In another non-limiting example, a customer stages a cash withdrawal andis guided to ATMs or banking locations with the lowest fees.

In another non-limiting example, a person traveling abroad requests atransaction and is provided several banking locations with routes to thebanking locations, in accordance with the person's preference of bankinglocations within walking distance.

In another non-limiting example, a customer stages his transaction whilewaiting in line at the ATM. The customer may receive marketing materialsand offers based on the customer's financial needs while waiting inline.

FIG. 22 is a flow chart illustrating a set of example operations 2200for transacting in advance in accordance with some embodiments of thepresent invention. Additional or fewer operations may be used in variousembodiments. Moreover, the operations may occur in different orders thandescribed.

Detecting operation 2210 detects a user at or near a banking location.The detecting may be done actively (e.g., actively monitoring for theuser's device) or passively (e.g., responsive to a user action). In anexample of active detection, detecting operation 2210 may detect theuser's presence by detecting a location of the user's mobile device.Detecting the user's mobile device may occur automatically through avariety of techniques such as geofencing, geolocation, network proximitytechniques, etc. In other embodiments, cameras and facial recognitiontechnology may be used to detect a user.

Passive detection—where the presence of the user is detected after theuser provides an indication—may also be used. For example, the user canscan a QR code or similar code posted in a strategic location at theentrance to the facility and/or teller queue (e.g., where one wouldtraditionally find a bin of deposit slips in the ATM line or queuingarea in the bank lobby) into the mobile device. A mobile application mayreceive the scanned code and send a message to the transacting inadvance system to alert the system of the user's presence at theparticular banking location.

In another example of passive detection, the user may display a QR code(or other code) on the user device and present the code to a code readerat the banking location. The QR code may include transaction informationand authentication information. In some embodiments, the QR code wasgenerated when the user pre-staged the transaction. The code may bedeciphered by the transacting in advance system and used to direct theuser to the appropriate area of the banking location.

In a further example of passive detection, the user's device may receiveand interpret periodically or continuously transmitted signals. Thesignals may indicate that the user is within a certain proximity of thebanking location. These signals may activate a mobile bankingapplication on the mobile device.

Detection operation 2210 may activate a mobile banking application onthe user's mobile device if the mobile application is not alreadyactivated. In some embodiments, the user's mobile device may beautomatically directed to a pre-staging webpage or tab where the usercan view pre-staged transactions and/or pre-stage a transaction.

Prompting operation 2220 may prompt the user to provide authenticationinformation (e.g., PIN, code, screen signature, biometric signature,etc.) into a mobile application on the user's device. In someembodiments, authentication is required prior to viewing the pre-stagingtransactions page or tabs. Transaction operation 2230 determines whetherthere are any existing pre-staged transactions associated with the useror the user account. Pre-staged transactions may be stored in adatabase. The database may be queried upon detection of the user device.Determining existing pre-staged transactions operation 2230 may occursimultaneously with prompting operation 2220.

If pre-staged transactions are detected, confirmation operation 2240sends a customized message to the user confirming the pre-stagedtransaction. The customized message may include transaction details suchas a date and time the transaction was pre-staged, a type of thetransaction, amount of funds and/or an account involved in thetransaction, etc. The user may be asked to confirm the informationrelating to the pre-staged transaction and/or confirm that the userdesires to complete the transaction at the banking location. Forexample, if the user has pre-staged a transaction to generate acashier's check, the user may be asked whether the user would like tocomplete this transaction. If the user indicates that the user wants tocomplete the transaction, then the user may be asked to confirm theamount of the cashier's check, an account to be withdrawn from, and thepayee's name.

Directing operation 2250 may send a message to the user directing theuser to a particular line, teller, ATM, or kiosk. The line, teller, ATM,or kiosk may be based upon a skill/specialization of the employee in thetype of services the user has pre-staged, or it may be based upon a waittime. In some embodiments, the user may be alerted to a shorter linebased on current average queue wait times. Wait times may be determinedby sensors (e.g., weight sensors) or cameras monitoring the bankinglocation.

In some embodiments, the pre-staged transaction may be gathered orfulfilled by one or more machines before the customer even reaches theteller, ATM, or kiosk. For example, the cashier's check may bepre-printed, cash may be pre-counted and/or bundled, requested documentsmay be prepared and gathered, etc. The teller computing device, ATM, orkiosk may be configured to receive a message regarding the pre-stagedtransaction and take actions to complete the transaction. In someembodiments, the teller's screen is prepopulated with the transactioninformation.

If no pre-staged transactions are detected, inviting operation 2260invites a user (e.g., via a mobile application) to begin pre-staging thetransaction while waiting in line. If the user accepts the offer, themobile application may detect which banking location the user is at ornear, and may provide banking location and/or transaction optionsaccordingly in operation 2250. After pre-staging the transaction, theuser may be directed to an appropriate line, teller, ATM, or kiosk. Insome embodiments, the user may be directed to a different bankinglocation if the services (e.g., foreign currency exchange) are notavailable at the current location.

Examples of pre-staged transactions include, but are not limited to,check deposits, cash transactions, teller checks, MoneyGrams, remotecash person to person using ATMs, as well as other transactions.

FIG. 23 is a flow chart illustrating a set of example operations 2300for transacting in advance in accordance with some embodiments of thepresent invention. Additional or fewer operations may be used in variousembodiments. Moreover, the operations may occur in different orders thandescribed. One or more of the operations can be performed by variouscomponents in FIG. 2 such as memory 210, one or more processors 220,device registration module 230; processing module 240, locationdetermination module 250, point of transaction module 260, informationmodule 270, mapping module 275, unique identifier module 280, point oftransaction detection module 285, image receiving module 290, and GUIgeneration module 295.

In opt-in operation 2305, a financial service customer opts-in tolocation-based services for mobile devices, allowing a financialservices organization to determine when a customer is within a distanceof a service center location (e.g., a bank lobby). The customer mayopt-in using a web portal, mobile application, etc. In detectionoperation 2310, the financial service application detects that thedevice's/customer's location is within a certain distance of a servicecenter. After identifying that the customer is within the distance ofthe service center, the financial service application checks for anypre-staged orders associated with the customer in checking operation2315.

When the customer has pre-staged a transaction, the financial serviceapplication confirms the availability of a pre-staged transaction andsends a welcome message to the customer in greeting operation 2320.Checking the availability of the pre-staged transaction order mayinclude confirming that the banking location has the proper equipment orpersonnel present to complete the transaction. Checking the availabilityof the pre-staged transaction may also include determining anapproximate wait time for completion of the transaction.

In messaging operation 2325, a message is sent to the customer's mobiledevice confirming that the pre-staged transaction has been completed andproviding instructions and/or information to the customer (e.g, “yourCashier's check order is ready for pickup at either the self-servicekiosks or a teller (current teller wait time is 9 minutes”). Inauthentication operation 2330, the customer authenticates by providing aPIN, voice password, biometrics, or other authenticating informationbased on business rules and/or customer set authentication limits. Insome embodiments, the level of authentication required is based on thetype of transaction.

In initiating operation 2335, the customer scans a QR code (or othersimilar code) at the kiosk or bank teller computing device using thedevice to confirm presence or initiate the transaction delivery. Uponreceipt of the QR code, in acknowledging operation 2340, the financialservice application acknowledges completion of the transaction andnotifies the customer of the delivery method of the electronic record oftransaction based on the customer preferences. For example, if thecustomer has identified a preference for email receipts/confirmations,the receipt/confirmation will be delivered to an email addressassociated with the customer.

When the customer has not pre-staged a transaction, the financialservice application confirms that the customer does not have anytransactions pending and sends a welcome message to the customer ingreeting operation 2345. In messaging operation 2350, the customer maybe informed of an approximate wait time and asked (via the mobileapplication) if the customer would like to begin the transaction whilewaiting in line. In some embodiments, the question regarding beginningthe transaction while waiting in line may appear only if the wait timeis over a threshold wait time. The customer authenticates by providing aPIN, voice password, biometrics, or other authenticating informationbased on business rules and/or customer set authentication limits inauthentication operation 2355 to the mobile application. The transactionis completed and a confirmation or receipt is delivered as describedabove in initiating operation 2335 and acknowledging operation 2340.

FIG. 24 is a flow chart illustrating a set of example operations 2400for transacting in advance in accordance with some embodiments of thepresent invention. Moreover, the operations may occur in differentorders than described. One or more of the operations can be performed byvarious components in FIG. 2 such as memory 210, one or more processors220, device registration module 230; processing module 240, locationdetermination module 250, point of transaction module 260, informationmodule 270, mapping module 275, unique identifier module 280, point oftransaction detection module 285, image receiving module 290, and GUIgeneration module 295.

In opting-in operation 2405, a financial service customer opts-in tolocation-based services for mobile devices, allowing a financialservices organization (or the customer) to determine when the customeris within a threshold distance of an ATM. In detecting operation 2410,the financial service application detects that the device's/customer'slocation is within a certain distance of an ATM in which the customercan transact with the financial institution. In checking operation 2415,the financial service application checks the customer's account for anypre-staged transaction orders.

When the customer has pre-staged a transaction, the financial serviceapplication confirms the availability of the pre-staged transaction andsends a welcome message to the customer in greeting operation 2420.Confirming the availability may include detecting whether the ATM hasthe capability to engage in the pre-staged transaction. For example, ifthe pre-staged transaction is to print a cashier's check but the ATM isout of paper, then the mobile application may advise the customer thatthe pre-staged transaction cannot be completed at this ATM. The mobileapplication may suggest other nearby ATMs. Assuming the ATM is availablefor the transaction, in messaging operation 2425, a message is sent tothe customer's mobile device confirming that the pre-staged transactionhas been completed and providing instructions and/or information to thecustomer (e.g, “your Cashier's check order is ready for pickup at thisATM. Current average wait time is 3 minutes”). In authenticationoperation 2430, the customer authenticates by providing a PIN, voicepassword, biometrics, or other authenticating information based onbusiness rules and/or customer set authentication limits. In someembodiments, the authentication level required is based on the type oftransaction.

In initiating operation 2435, the customer scans a QR code (or othersimilar code) using the device to confirm presence or initiate thetransaction delivery at the ATM. Upon receipt of the QR code, inacknowledging operation 2440, the financial service applicationacknowledges completion of the transaction and notifies the customer ofthe delivery method of the electronic record of transaction based on thecustomer preferences. For example, if the customer has identified apreference for email receipts/confirmations, the receipt/confirmationwill be delivered to an email address associated with the customer.

When it is detected that the customer has not pre-staged a transaction,the financial service application confirms that the customer does nothave any transactions pending and sends a welcome message to thecustomer in greeting operation 2445. In messaging operation 2450, thecustomer may be informed of an approximate wait time to use the ATM andasked if the customer would like to begin the transaction while waitingin line. In some embodiments, the question regarding beginning thetransaction while waiting in line may appear only if the wait time isover a threshold wait time. The customer authenticates by providing aPIN, voice password, biometrics, or other authenticating informationbased on business rules and/or customer set authentication limits inauthentication operation 2455. The transaction is completed and aconfirmation or receipt is delivered as described above in initiatingoperation 2435 and acknowledging operation 2440.

In some embodiments, the mobile application is interactive with thefinancial institution's banking system, including ATM functionality.This may provide real-time feedback to alert the customer when somethingat the ATM is not functioning properly and is suddenly unable to fulfillthe ordered transaction as expected. The proactive alerting may alsooffer a solution by locating the most convenient alternative based onthe customers current location. For example, if an ATM runs out of cashdeposit capacity (or malfunctioned for any reason), a nearby servicecenter or another ATM may still be an acceptable solution for thecustomer and could be presented on the application's mapping functionwith an option for the customer to place the customer in a queue at theselected ATM or banking location. This way, the customer would benotified pro-actively and would avoid waiting in line to discover theproblem at the ATM.

FIG. 25 is a sequence diagram illustrating a set of operations inaccordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure. Asillustrated in FIG. 25, a user may download a mobile application for amobile computing device. The mobile application may allow the user tocommunicate with a financial institution to pre-stage financialtransactions, check account statuses, remotely deposit checks, submitinsurance documents, apply for loans, and participate in otheractivities with a financial institution. In connection with the mobileapplication, when the user is within a certain proximity of a bankinglocation, a detector may detect the mobile computing device using GPS,network proximity techniques, geofencing, or other location techniques.In some embodiments, the mobile application may allow the user to“opt-in” or “opt-out” of allowing the financial institution to detectthe user's location using these techniques. When the detector detectsthe mobile computing device, the detector alerts the transacting inadvance system of the user's presence at or near the banking location.

Once the transacting in advance system is aware of the user's presence,the transacting in advance system may request transaction informationfrom the user computing device or the user. For example, the user may beasked what type of transaction the user will be conducting. Using themobile application or other correspondence feature on the mobilecomputing device, the user may provide transaction information to thetransaction in advance system. In some embodiments, the user may beasked if the user would like to pre-stage the transaction while the useris waiting in line. In some embodiments, the transacting in advancesystem may access previously stored information regarding a transactionthe user has pre-staged.

When the transacting in advance system has at least some informationrelating to a transaction (e.g., a name of the user, a type of thetransaction, etc.), the user may be put into a queue and/or directed toa line or area of the banking location via the mobile application. Forexample, the user may be directed to a teller who specializes in aparticular type of transaction. The user may be directed to a kiosk orATM. The area or line the user is directed to may depend on a type ofthe transaction, the length of the line, the estimated wait time in eachline (e.g., information regarding other user's transactions could besurveyed and calculated to report an estimated wait time or length ofline could be detected to estimate wait time), a name of the customer(e.g., did the customer schedule in advance), etc.

The transaction information provided by the user and any pre-stagedtransaction information may be communicated to the transaction deviceassociated with the area in which the user was directed to. For example,if the user was directed to a particular teller line, then the user'stransaction information may be transferred to the teller's computingdevice. In some embodiments, the teller's screen may be automaticallypopulated when the user approaches the teller. In some embodiments, theteller's screen may be automatically populated with the transactioninformation when the user provides authentication information and/or acode to the teller and/or the computing device. In some embodiments, thedetection may occur at a further distance from the banking location,such as a few blocks or a few miles. The user's location may be detectedand the user may receive a reminder about a pre-staged transaction witha map to the nearby banking location.

In some embodiments, the user may be asked to login to the mobileapplication or to provide other authentication information. In someembodiments, the user computing device is detected using NFC, RFID orother short-range technology. For example, when the user arrives at abanking location, the user may alert the transacting in advance systemof his or her presence by scanning a code (e.g., quick response code)into the user's mobile computing device. This code may be located at theentrance to the banking location, such as where one may find depositslips. In other embodiments, the user may present a code (e.g., quickresponse code) to the banking location. The code presented by the usermay contain pre-staged transaction details, provide identification ofthe user, and/or provide a unique transaction number identifying thepre-staged transaction. This code may have been received by the userwhen the user pre-staged the transaction and/or generated by the mobileapplication. The user may present this code at the banking locationprior to reaching a representative computing device, kiosk, ATM or othertransaction device, or the user may present this code upon reaching therepresentative computing device, kiosk, ATM or other transaction device.

Computer System Overview

Embodiments of the present invention include various steps andoperations, which have been described above. A variety of these stepsand operations may be performed by hardware components or may beembodied in machine-executable instructions, which may be used to causea general-purpose or special-purpose processor programmed with theinstructions to perform the steps. Alternatively, the steps may beperformed by a combination of hardware, software, and/or firmware. Assuch, FIG. 26 is an example of a computer system 2600 with whichembodiments of the present invention may be utilized. According to thepresent example, the computer system includes a bus 2605, at least oneprocessor 2610, at least one communication port 2615, a main memory2620, a removable storage media 2625, a read only memory 2630, and amass storage device 2635.

Processor(s) 2610 can be any known processor, such as, but not limitedto, an Intel® Itanium® or Itanium 2® processor(s), or AMD® Opteron® orAthlon MP® processor(s), or Motorola® lines of processors. Communicationport(s) 2615 can be any of an RS-232 port for use with a modem baseddialup connection, a 10/100 Ethernet port, or a Gigabit port usingcopper or fiber. Communication port(s) 2615 may be chosen depending on anetwork such a Local Area Network (LAN), Wide Area Network (WAN), or anynetwork to which the computer system 2600 connects.

Main memory 2620 can be Random Access Memory (RAM), or any other dynamicstorage device(s) commonly known in the art. Read only memory 2630 canbe any static storage device(s) such as Programmable Read Only Memory(PROM) chips for storing static information such as instructions forprocessor 2610.

Mass storage 2635 can be used to store information and instructions. Forexample, hard disks such as the Adaptec® family of SCSI drives, anoptical disc, an array of disks such as RAID, such as the Adaptec familyof RAID drives, or any other mass storage devices may be used.

Bus 2605 communicatively couples processor(s) 2610 with the othermemory, storage and communication blocks. Bus 2605 can be a PCI/PCI-X orSCSI based system bus depending on the storage devices used.

Removable storage media 2625 can be any kind of external hard-drives,floppy drives, IOMEGA® Zip Drives, Compact Disc-Read Only Memory(CD-ROM), Compact Disc-Re-Writable (CD-RW), and/or Digital VideoDisk-Read Only Memory (DVD-ROM).

The components described above are meant to exemplify some types ofpossibilities. In no way should the aforementioned examples limit thescope of the invention, as they are only exemplary embodiments.

Terminology

Brief definitions of terms, abbreviations, and phrases used throughoutthis application are given below.

The terms “connected” or “coupled” and related terms are used in anoperational sense and are not necessarily limited to a direct physicalconnection or coupling. Thus, for example, two devices may be coupleddirectly, or via one or more intermediary media or devices. As anotherexample, devices may be coupled in such a way that information can bepassed therebetween, while not sharing any physical connection with oneanother. Based on the disclosure provided herein, one of ordinary skillin the art will appreciate a variety of ways in which connection orcoupling exists in accordance with the aforementioned definition.

The phrases “in some embodiments,” “according to some embodiments,” “inthe embodiments shown,” “in other embodiments,” and the like generallymean the particular feature, structure, or characteristic following thephrase is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention,and may be included in more than one embodiment of the presentinvention. In addition, such phrases do not necessarily refer to thesame embodiments or different embodiments.

If the specification states a component or feature “may”, “can”,“could”, or “might” be included or have a characteristic, thatparticular component or feature is not required to be included or havethe characteristic.

The term “responsive” includes completely or partially responsive.

The term “module” refers broadly to a software, hardware, or firmware(or any combination thereof) component. Modules are typically functionalcomponents that can generate useful data or other output using specifiedinput(s). A module may or may not be self-contained. An applicationprogram (also called an “application”) may include one or more modules,or a module can include one or more application programs.

The term “network” generally refers to a group of interconnected devicescapable of exchanging information. A network may be as few as severalpersonal computers on a Local Area Network (LAN) or as large as theInternet, a worldwide network of computers. As used herein “network” isintended to encompass any network capable of transmitting informationfrom one entity to another. In some cases, a network may be comprised ofmultiple networks, even multiple heterogeneous networks, such as one ormore border networks, voice networks, broadband networks, financialnetworks, service provider networks, Internet Service Provider (ISP)networks, and/or Public Switched Telephone Networks (PSTNs),interconnected via gateways operable to facilitate communicationsbetween and among the various networks.

Embodiments of the present invention may be provided as a computerprogram product which may include a machine-readable medium havingstored thereon instructions which may be used to program a computer (orother electronic devices) to perform a process. The machine-readablemedium may include, but is not limited to, floppy diskettes, opticaldisks, compact disc read-only memories (CD-ROMs), and magneto-opticaldisks, ROMs, random access memories (RAMs), erasable programmableread-only memories (EPROMs), electrically erasable programmableread-only memories (EEPROMs), magnetic or optical cards, flash memory,or other types of media/machine-readable medium suitable for storingelectronic instructions. Moreover, embodiments of the present inventionmay also be downloaded as a computer program product, wherein theprogram may be transferred from a remote computer to a requestingcomputer by way of data signals embodied in a carrier wave or otherpropagation medium via a communication link (e.g., a modem or networkconnection).

While, for convenience, embodiments of the present invention aredescribed with reference to staging transactions, embodiments of thepresent invention are equally applicable to other types of transactions.For example, various embodiments of the present invention contemplatescheduling orders and/or prepaying while at a drive through restaurant,pharmacy, etc.

Also, for the sake of illustration, various embodiments of the presentinvention have herein been described in the context of computerprograms, physical components, and logical interactions within moderncomputer networks. Importantly, while these embodiments describe variousaspects of the invention in relation to modern computer networks andprograms, the method and apparatus described herein are equallyapplicable to other systems, devices, and networks as one skilled in theart will appreciate. As such, the illustrated applications of theembodiments of the present invention are not meant to be limiting, butinstead exemplary. Other systems, devices, and networks to whichembodiments of the present invention are applicable include, but are notlimited to, other types of communication and computer devices andsystems. More specifically, embodiments are applicable to communicationsystems, services, and devices such as cell phone networks andcompatible devices. In addition, embodiments are applicable to alllevels of computing from the personal computer to large networkmainframes and servers.

In conclusion, embodiments of the present invention provides novelsystems, methods and arrangements for systems and methods to stagetransactions. While detailed descriptions of one or more embodiments ofthe invention have been given above, various alternatives,modifications, and equivalents will be apparent to those skilled in theart without varying from the spirit of the invention. For example, whilethe embodiments described above refer to particular features, the scopeof this invention also includes embodiments having differentcombinations of features and embodiments that do not include all of thedescribed features. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention isintended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications, and variationsthat fall within the scope of the claims, together with all equivalentsthereof. Therefore, the above description should not be taken aslimiting the scope of the invention, which is defined by the appendedclaims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method comprising: generating, by a mobilecomputing device, a unique identifier that identifies a transaction, themobile computing device that staged the transaction, and userpreferences; detecting, by a detector, the mobile computing deviceassociated with a user within a proximity of a physical bankinglocation, wherein the mobile computing device is running a mobileapplication, wherein detecting, by the detector, the mobile computingdevice comprises scanning, by a scanner, the unique identifier from themobile computing device, and wherein scanning, by the scanner, theunique identifier identifies the transaction, the mobile computingdevice, and the user preferences; determining, via the mobileapplication, a type of the transaction to be conducted; and directing,via the mobile application, the user to a teller within the physicalbanking location based on the type of the transaction to complete thetransaction and the user preferences.
 2. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising determining whether the user has pre-staged one or moretransactions.
 3. The method of claim 2, wherein when the user haspre-staged the one or more transactions, the method further comprisesplacing the one or more transactions into a queue.
 4. The method ofclaim 3, further comprising: in response to detecting, by the detector,the mobile computing device, requesting the user to provideauthentication information into the mobile application on the mobilecomputing device; and authenticating the user to the mobile applicationusing the authentication information, wherein placing the one or moretransactions into the queue occurs upon authentication.
 5. The method ofclaim 1, further comprising inviting the user to pre-stage one or moretransactions while the user is within the physical banking location viathe mobile application.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining,via the mobile application, the type of the transaction includes:detecting that the user has pre-staged one or more transactions; andanalyzing the one or more pre-staged transactions to determine a type ofthe one or more transactions.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein theteller is one of the following: a kiosk, a window teller, or anautomated teller machine.
 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the uniqueidentifier is a quick response code generated by the mobile computingdevice.
 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the unique identifier is aquick response code identifying the user, the transaction, and the userpreferences; and wherein detecting, by the detector, the mobilecomputing device includes scanning the quick response code displayed onthe mobile computing device.
 10. The method of claim 1, wherein themobile computing device is detected using geofencing or networkproximity techniques.
 11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:surveying the physical banking location using video cameras or weightsensors; and determining estimated wait times for each of the tellers.12. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically populating ascreen of the teller with details of the transaction.
 13. A methodcomprising: generating, by a mobile computing device associated with auser, a unique identifier that identifies a pre-staged transaction, themobile computing device that staged the pre-staged transaction, a typeof the pre-staged transaction, and user preferences; detecting, throughthe transacting in advance system, the mobile computing deviceassociated with the user within a proximity of a banking location wherethe user can complete the pre-staged transaction, wherein detecting,through the transacting in advance system, the mobile computing devicecomprises scanning, by a scanner, a unique identifier displayed on themobile computing device, wherein scanning, by the scanner, the uniqueidentifier identifies the pre-staged transaction, the mobile computingdevice that staged the pre-staged transaction, and user preferences; anddetermining the type of transaction to be conducted based on theinformation in the unique identifier; and directing, via the mobilecomputing device, the user to a teller within the banking location tocomplete the pre-staged transaction based on the type of the pre-stagedtransaction and the user preferences.
 14. The method of claim 13,further comprising automatically populating a screen of the teller withdetails of the pre-staged transaction.
 15. The method of claim 13,further comprising requesting, via the mobile computing device,authentication credentials from the user.
 16. The method of claim 13,wherein the unique identifier is a quick response code.
 17. A systemcomprising: a detector operable to detect a mobile computing device of auser within a proximity of a banking location, wherein the detectorcomprises a scanner operable to scan a unique identifier from the mobilecomputing device, and wherein the unique identifier identifies atransaction, the mobile computing device that staged the transaction,and user preferences; and a server communicably coupled to the detector,wherein the server is operable to: process the unique identifier toidentify the mobile computing device, the transaction, and the userpreferences, identify the user based on an identity of the mobilecomputing device detected by the detector, determine a type of thetransaction based on the transaction identified in the uniqueidentifier, and direct the user to a teller within the banking locationbased at least in part on the type of the transaction and the userpreferences.
 18. The system of claim 17, wherein the transaction is apre-staged transaction, wherein the unique identifier is a quickresponse code or a bar code.
 19. The system of claim 18, furthercomprising: a computing device of a representative operable to receiveand display information from the pre-staged transaction.